The present invention broadly relates to industrial machine mounts, for example mounts between a concrete foundation and a frame of a machine. More particularly, the invention relates to a mount for controlled redirection and dissipation of large horizontal forces effectively preventing the machine from creeping or walking.
The field of industrial machine mounts is very well known and commonly used in industry. Heavy machinery such as presses, machine tools, turbines, generators, injection molding systems, Thixomolding system, and the like are typically mounted upon vertically adjustable mounts spaced apart from each other. The mounts typically include an adjustable member for leveling the machine, a load bearing member for supporting the machine, and a vibration dampening member. The vibration dampening members include pads formed of fabric, rubber, neoprene, or plastic materials capable of bearing the applied load of the machine.
However, in the past, machine mounts are prone to the problem of machine creeping and walking. Machine creeping and walking is caused by horizontal forces generated by the machine. Machine creeping and walking is movement of the machine, typically in one direction, under normal operation of the machine. Machine creeping and walking may also cause misalignment between different components of a system, for example an injection molding machine and a part conveyer.
Kitawaga Europe corporation offers the KEL range of conventional machine mounts as described on their internet web page (www.kitagawaeurope.com/machine-mount.htm) for use on general machines, impact machinery, presses, and injection molding machines. The mount includes a thick cylindrical elastomer base partially covered by a cylindrical metal support plate. The elastomer base is securely retained on a lower surface by a lip formed in the support plate. A threaded bolt for attaching and leveling extends upwardly from an upper surface of the support plate. The mount also includes an additional shock plate for increased vertical and horizontal load capacity required to accommodate the heavy impacts delivered by industrial machines such as presses and molding machines. The mount provides a rigid metal structure and interface between the machine and elastomer. In operation, the mount depends upon friction between the lower surface of the elastomer and a concrete foundation to resist motion.
UNISORB (registered trademark) Installation Technologies offers a range of vibration isolation pad materials and machine mounts as described on their internet web pages (www.unisorb.com). The pad materials generally reduce vibration. Some pad materials are designed with a high coefficient of friction to prevent machinery from creeping and walking. These mounts have generally rectangular rigid metal housing with a threaded attachment and adjustment rod extending upwardly from the housing and a pad is retained within the housing. The rectangular shape of the pad provides greater resistance to machine walking than a circular shape of a pad. Alternatively, the threaded attachment and adjustment rod may be replaced with a wedge type mount that includes a sliding wedge to provide mechanical lift for alignment and leveling. U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,220 issued to Unisorb Incorporated on May 20, 1995. A heavy duty vibration absorbing and leveling machinery mount is disclosed. The mount includes an adjustable metal structure including four pockets at each corner. Each of the four pockets contain a stack of vibration absorbing elements in the form of pads. The lowermost pads rest upon the floor.
Other prior art solutions require the machine to be bolted to an anchor in the floor which is inconvenient and does not absorb all the shock force.
The aforedescribed prior art devices are prone to machine walking when horizontal machine forces exceed the frictional force between the pad and the floor.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a machine mount which overcomes the aforedescribed problems of machine creeping and walking. There is a need to dissipate horizontal forces generated by the operation of machinery for preventing machine creeping and walking.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a machine mount that prevents machine creeping and walking.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a machine mount capable of supporting a very heavy load.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a machine mount that uses the weight of the machine to counteract a directional horizontal force.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a machine mount that used the weight of the machine to counteract omni directional horizontal forces.
There is a need for solving the problems of the prior art devices and preventing a machine from walking or creeping due to high horizontal shock forces.
The present invention finds advantage in preventing a machine from walking due to high horizontal shock force.
The present invention also finds advantage in automatically resetting to an initial rest position to accept the next high horizontal shock force.
The present invention also finds advantage in applying a static vertical force (weight) to counteract and dissipate a high horizontal shock force.
The present invention also finds advantage is providing a cost effective machine mount.
The present invention also finds advantage in replacing the conventional thick non-slip neoprene pad with a thin non-slip coating which improves the vertical rigidity of the machine mount leading to more accurate leveling.
In accordance with a primary broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a machine mount. The machine mount includes a first load bearing member for supporting said machine and a second load bearing member for supporting said machine. A force dissipater is disposed intermediate the first load bearing member and the second load bearing member. The force dissipater communicates with the first load bearing member and the second load bearing member permitting movement of the first load bearing member with respect to the second load bearing member between a rest position and elevated position dissipating force directed in a horizontal axis.
In accordance with secondary broad aspect of the present invention there is provided a machine mount. The machine mount includes a first load bearing member for supporting the machine, an intermediate load bearing member for supporting said machine, and a second load bearing member for supporting said machine. A first force dissipater is disposed intermediate the first load bearing member and the intermediate load bearing member. The first force dissipater communicates with the first load bearing member and the second load bearing member permitting movement between a rest position and an elevated. A second force dissipater is disposed intermediate the intermediate load bearing member and the second load bearing member. The second force dissipater communicates with the intermediate load bearing member and the second load bearing member permitting movement between a rest position and an elevated position, dissipating force directed in a horizontal plane.